Claimed "Let Off with a Warning" on Social Media
Police Say "It Was Not a Warning"
On the morning of the 11th, the investigation status of the martial law and rebellion case is being reported on the television at the entrance of Seoul Namdaemun Police Station, where Police Chief Jo Ji-ho and Seoul Chief Kim Bong-sik are known to be detained. Photo by Heo Young-han
A supporter of President Yoon Seok-yeol, who was arrested on the spot while attempting to break into the Chinese Embassy in Korea dressed as Captain America the day before, is being investigated by the police without detention.
Seoul Namdaemun Police Station announced on the 15th that they decided to investigate Mr. Ahn, a man in his 40s suspected of attempted trespassing, without detention.
Mr. Ahn, a supporter of President Yoon, attempted to enter the Chinese Embassy around 7:36 p.m. the previous day while the embassy door was open. The police arrested Mr. Ahn on the spot. It is known that at the time of the incident, Mr. Ahn was dressed as Captain America from the Marvel movies and reportedly said he intended to "terrorize the Chinese Embassy."
At around 1 a.m. that day, Mr. Ahn posted on his social media, "I was given a warning. It is a victory of justice," but the police decided on an investigation without detention rather than a warning.
A "warning" is a police measure to defer filing charges against suspects of minor crimes with mitigating circumstances who do not require punishment. It differs from an "investigation without detention," where a suspect arrested on the spot is released but continues to be investigated.
On the day of his arrest, around 10:10 p.m., Mr. Ahn wrote on his social media account, "The purpose was to send a message for the Chinese government to personally realize the anti-China public sentiment," and "Since the police guarding the embassy are all Korean, I did not want anyone to get hurt."
Meanwhile, Mr. Ahn is one of the supporters of President Yoon who appeared at the National Human Rights Commission on the 10th when the agenda to "Guarantee the Defense Rights of President Yoon Seok-yeol" was submitted.
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